Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1887-07-07
bold barous of England wrung from King

CtsSiou thaI man accuseu Vi cTinc
might be tried by jury Of his peers.
With the magma charter aftor five thous-
and years Of trial man acquired the first
substantial protection from the tyrrany Of
despotic power. Even then tie best
conception of human liberty was that
while some should be free others must
be slaves. The idea Of freedom to all
men had not even yst dawned upon the
intellect. 1t took yet FIVE centuries b, :
fore man could compr, bend that while
one was himself free he had no right to
have slave of his nsighhor. For until!
1872 had the true conception of human
rights 40 far found lod ement 10 the
minds of men that England declared
that her free air cou,d not be breathed
by slave. Then for the first time 10
history could her poets sing.
SLAVE cannot breathe in England If
their lungs receive our air, that moment
they are free they touch our shore and
their Ahackles fall.
"Thst's noble and bespeaks a nation
jealous Of the blessing, spread it then and
let it circulate through every vein Of all
our empire, that where Brittons power
is felt mankind may feel her mercy toe"
And just here amid these festivities
may We not pause moment and Join
our cousins across the Atlantic in their
jubilee over the fifty years reign of
Victoria the model woman, their honored
sovereign. Well may We render trib
ute Of gratitude not TO Victoria alone
but also to tho nation that FIRST declared
for the freedom OF man under their own
flag. We tender to England to day our
gratitude for tie business of her laws and
the nobility of her queen.
Four years after the announcement by
Lord Mansfield that under one govern
meut at least aud that the first 10 all
history men could not be enslaved, the
Declaration Of Independence, whose
anniversary VIC celebrate to-day, was
given to the world, while England had
proceeded us in repudiating slavery in
her own dominions it was left to tn,
signers of the declaration to declare the
doctrine new 10 all the governments which
had proceeded us, that man could NOT
rightfully be enslaved. Mansfield had
indeed declared that slavery did not exist
10 England because, as be said, there
was no positive law authorizing it. He
did not say that no such law could right.
fully be enacted. The signers of the
declaration Of Independence with a
broader conception said all men we're
created equal, they could not say, as
many wished, that they we're created
free. The shackles were Worn by too
many men to allow such statement to
be truthiully made. More than half a
million Of people were then in bondage
within the thirteenth colonies. In con.
templating that body Of men VIC behold
a remarkable scene. Many were the
owners Of slaves and yet their heart and
sense of natural business exalted them
above all selfish interests and while they
could realize that they were making
declaration which would, eventually, des-
troy their human property, they boldly
declared the graudest principles that
humanity had conceived, that all men
were endowed with the inalieuable right
to life, liberty and the pursuit Of happi.
ness. Not many years ago William Fl.
Seward was savagely criticised for saying
within the halls Of congress that there
was an irrepressible conflict between
slavery and freedom, that the Union
must be all slave or all free and yet be
but declared the logical deduction Of the
Declaration of Independence how much
it has cost us in blood and treasure to
accomplish the practical application of
these grand principles "a the affairs of
lite We do not care to day to consider.
1t took nearly century to complete the
work commenced on the Fourth of July
1875 and to harmonic the condition Of
the people with the principles OF our
government. Not less than SIX thousand
years has been devoted to the develop
meut and security of individual liberty
to man. Since President Lincoln procla
nation, striking the shackles from every
bondmau the theory and practice of our
government for the first time have been
harmouized. Having thus achieved
human liberty there remains confronting
us to day the question, what shall We do
with it; in what manner shall tbs pur
suit Of happiness be exercised ? Does
individual freedom mean absolute liberty
to do as We will? Does individual free.